Engine cooling system cleaner



May 12, 1931. I J. J. LUDWIG 1,304,536

" ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM QLEAXER Filed June 1, 1929 ATTORNEY Patented May12, 1931 JOHN J'. LUDWIG, F CARPENTER, SOUTH DAKOTA ENGINE COOLINGApplication filed June 1,

This invention relates to accessories for use in connection with motorvehicles and the like and has for its general object the provision of anovel device by means of which water or a suitable cleansing solutionmay be positively forced through a radiator orwater acket of the engineof an automobile or the like for the urpose of removing sediment, scaleand ot er encrustations which may form therein.

It is well known that after prolonged service the tubes or other waterpassages in a radiator and the water jacket of the motor, for instancein an automobile, become partly ll filled with foreign matter such asrust, dirt, scale and other slmilar deposits which, if left to remain,very frequently cause overheating of the motor on account of the factthat they interfere seriously with the water circulation and also occupyspace which should properly be occupied by water itself.

Very frequently such foreign matter accumulates simply in the form ofsediment in the water used. In other instances mud or the likeaccumulates owing to the use of dirty water under emergency conditions.At all times there is a certain amount of rust which forms and this rustwill accumulate in time and occupy a sufiicient portion of the space todetract from the circulation.

It is with all of the above facts in view that I have devised thepresent invention which has for an important object the provision of apump device by means of which plain water or a chemical solution may bepositively forced back and forth through the radiator and passagestherein, or through the water jackets, without it being necessary toremove the radiator from the automobile.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may e manufactured as a complete and separate entity andemployed as an accessory simply by disconnecting the water inlet andoutlet connections between the water jacket and the radiator andattaching the terminal elements which form a part of the device.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which will 5U be very simple and inexpensive to manufac-SYSTEM CLEANER 1929. Serial No. 367,767.

ture, easy to use, positive in action, efficient and durable in service,and a general improvement in the art.

Vith the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionpreferably consists in the details of construction and the arrangementand combinatinn of parts to be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure lis a vertical sectional view through the device, with certain partsthereof shown in elevation, illustrating it in applied position foreffecting cleaning of an automobile radiator.

Figure 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the letter A designates theengine of a motor vehicle and 13 represents the radiator. As is wellknown, the Water jacket of the engine has an outlet and an inletindicated at C and D respectively, these outlet and inlet connectionsbeing connected by hose members E and F with the inlet and outletconnections 'G and H of the radiator. The bottom con nection H of theradiator, or the bottom portion of the radiator itself is customarilyprovided with a drain valve I.

In carrying out my invention I provide a pump device which includes'arelatively heavy base 10 of any ordinary or preferred shape and hererepresented as provided in its top with an annular groove 11 receivingthe lower end of a cylinder or barrel 12 which has its upper endsimilarly seated within a groove 13 in a cap or top piece 14. Aplurality of vertically arranged tie rods 15 are provided passingthrough the edge portion of the cap or top 14 and threaded into suitablesockets 16 in the base. At one side the base is preferably provided witha projection or extension 17 upon which the operator may place his footfor the purpose of holding the device stationary during manipulation ofthe pump. The base is also formed with a passage 18 extending outthrough an extension 19 at one side, and the cap or top piece 14 issimilarly provided with a passage 20 communicating with the interior ofthe cylinder or barrel and extending out through a lateral extension 21.Reciprocable within the barrel or cylinder is a suitably packed piston22 carried by a piston rod 23 slidable through thecap or top piece 14and through an appropriate packing gland 24, the upper end of this rodhaving a handle 25 thereon of any desired size and shape.

Connected with the extension 21 is a flexible hose 26, and connectedwith the'extension 19 is a similar hose 27, and both of these hosehaving detachably connected with the free ends thereof preferably softrubber nipples 28 adapted to be frictionally engaged upon the inlet andoutlet connections of the radiator or of the water jacket of the engineas the case may be.

- In the use of the device, it is of course first necessary that theusual hose connections between the water jacket and the radiator bedetached. The pump device is then placed in position with the terminalmembers 28 frictionally engaged uponthe water inlet and outletconnections of the radiator or of the engine as the case may be. In theformer instance, any desired solution or plain water may be introducedwithin the radiator through the usual filling neck J, subsequently towhich the operator, while holding the pump down for example with hisfoot applied to the extension 17, grasps the handle 25 andreciprocatesthe piston 22. The result will be that the water or chemicalsolution within the radiator will be forced back and forth at everystroke of the piston 22. Quite naturally this will dislodge anyaccumulation of sediment, scale or other foreign matter so thatradiator.

after a very short time the valve I may beopened' to permit the waterand the foreign matter floating therein to drain off. In case it isdesired to clean out the. interior of the water j acket-of the engine,the same action is followed except that the terminal members 28 must beconnected with the inlet and outlet connections of the motor instead ofwith the lVhile plain water is eiiicient it is of course obvious thatthere are many chemical solutions which will be more advantageous to useon account of the rapidity with which they dissolve or at least loosenscale and other foreign matter.

From the foregoing description and a study of the drawing it will beapparent that I have thus provided a very simple. device by means ofwhich undesired matter may be removed from automobile, truck and otherradiators and from Water jackets so that ample space will be left forthe circulation of cooling water.

It is believed that the construction, operation, and advantages will bereadily apparent to one skilled in the art without further explanation.I

\Vhile I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of theinvention, it should be understood that I reserve the right to make allsuch changes in the form and construction of parts and the details, aswell as the combination as will not depart from the spirit of theinvention or the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

Having thus described the invention, I claim An apparatus for cleansingan automobile radiator of accumulations by a repeated flow of cleansingfluid alternately in opposite directions in the radiator, whichapparatus comprises a pump embodying a cylinder, a base supporting thecylinder in upright position and closing the lower end of the cylinder,a cap closing the upper end of the cylinder, a reciprocatory pistonfitting in the cylinder, a stem extending from the head of the pistonthrough the cap and provided with a hand grip whereby the piston may bemanually reciprocated, fluid conduits leading from the said base and-thecap, a flexible hose connected at one end with each conduit, and meansat the outer ends of the two hose for connection with the inlet andoutlet connections of the radiator.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN J. LUDIVIG.

lli)

